AUBURN — U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested two Mexican nationals in the city last week after receiving information from a “concerned citizen.”

According to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection news release Monday, both men were found to be “illegally present” in the United States and were taken to the Rangeley Border Patrol Station for processing.

The men were taken into custody Thursday, June 27. During interviews, one man was found to have entered the United States illegally through Laredo, Texas, in early 2019. According to the news release, the man previously held a valid nonimmigrant visa that expired in 2018.

The other man, according to the report, was lawfully admitted to the United States with a valid Border Crosser Card in 2012. The Border Patrol release states that Border Crossing Cards are primarily issued along the southern border to allow people to enter the United States for “short periods for purposes such as shopping. Those entering with a BCC are required to remain within 25 miles of the border.”

“This case highlights the level of cooperation we receive from the public,” said Jason D. Owens, the Border Patrol chief in Maine. “We have limited resources and cannot be everywhere at once. Getting calls from the public is essential to helping us make local communities safer.”

Auburn Police Chief Jason Moen said Tuesday that Border Patrol did not reach out for assistance in this case.

He said Auburn police have “an excellent working relationship with Border Patrol,” and “will assist them as we would any other law enforcement agency requesting assistance.”

Both men were transferred to the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

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